Car-coupling



(No Model.)

0A. BALLREIGH. "GAR COUPLING.

No. 465,980. Patented 1360.29, 1891.

KNEW @MMAQMM, A (.3! i t w UNITED STATES ATEN FFICE.

CHARLES A. BALLREICH, OF DES MOINES, IOlVA.

CAR-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 465,980, dated December 29, 1891.

Application filed March 5, 1891. Serial No. 383,895. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, CHARLES A. BALLREICH, a citizen of the United States of America, and a resident of Des Moines, in the count-y of Polk and State of Iowa, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Oar-Couplers, of which the following is a specification.

My improvement relates to that class of carcouplers in which laterally-moving jaws pivoted to the draw-heads come into reciprocal engagement when two cars come together; and my invention consists in the construction and combination of a draw-head, pivoted jaw, and an automatic j aw-locking device, as hereinafter set forth, pointed out in the claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is aperspective view of aknuckle detached from the drawhead. Fig. 2 is a rear side View of the same.

Fig. 3 is a vertical section through a portion of the draw-' head and the knuckle when in an open and normal position. Fig. 4 is a side view of the swinging latch. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal sectional view of the draw-head, knuckle, and latch complete. Fig. 6 is a perspective view of my complete device in position as required for practical use.

A represents a draw-head having a concaved face.

B and B represent ears formed integral with one side of the face of the draw head and projecting forward therefrom. The ear B has a cavity formed in its upper face, the bottom of which is inclined, and is adapted to admit a journal C to rotate therein. The journal 0 is tubular and formed integral with the lower face of the knuckle D, which knuckle has a perforation therein coinciding of the arm Fis so constructed as to form shoulders II, which engage against shoulders H formed on the d raw-head between the ears B B and prevents the knuckles from being advanced rearwardly beyond its normal closed position by the impact of the draw-head on an adjacent approaching car, as required, to receive the force of the blow.

J is a gravity locking-latch pivoted at its upper end in the top. portion of the drawhead and depending therefrom through open ings formed in the draw-head.

Referring to Fig. 4, it will be observed that the latch J is curved and has a shoulder or cam J 2 formed thereon that will be engaged by the top surface of the knuckle-arm, as required, to pass the latch laterally to allow the point of the arm to pass the latch. The perforation J 3 in the upperend thereof serves as a journal-bearing to admit the pivot by which the latch is suspended. A chain K is secured to the lower end of the latchJ and extends therefrom to manually-actuated operating devices (not shown) secured to the outer portions of the car. A notch K is formed in the draw-head at one side of and opening into the opening in which the latch J swings, and is adapted to admit and retain the lower portion of said latch when it is desired to keep said latch out of engagement with the arm F. A slot L is formed in the free portion of the knuckle D, and vertical perforations L therein admit a pin by which to secure a link of common form, if desired. A slot M is formedin the fixed or pivoted portion of the knuckle to admit a link of common form, which is held therein by the pin D as shown by the dotted lines in Fig. 5.

In the practical use of my invention the gravity-latch J is pivoted to the draw-head in a different vertical plane from the opening in which it operates, and the tendency thereof is to swing toward the arm F. When the meeting drawheads come in contact, the knuckles will be closed within each other and automatically locked by the latch J, which resumes its normal position by force of gravity after the end of the arm F has passed in rear of it. When it is desired to uncouple the cars, the latch is withdrawn from engage= ment with the arm' F by means of the chain K, and let into the notch K to permit the separation of the cars at any time without with an opening that allows the latch to extend downward through the draw-head, and a notch K intersecting said opening, the latch can be in position, as required, to be automatically operated by the contact of the shoulder II of the jaw with the cam J of the latch, and also retained inoperative by allowing the latch to be retained in the notch K in the draw-head. lVhen the shoulder II at the top of the arm F of the pivoted jaw engages the cam J of the suspended latch J, it presses upward on the cam and moves the lower end of the latch laterally relative to the end of the arm F, as required, to allow the end of the arm to pass inward,and when the shoulder H is disengaged from the cam J the latch will resume its normal position by force of gravity and engage the end of the arm F, as clearly shownin Fig. 5, and as required to automatically lock the jaw.

I claim as my invention 1. In a car-couplin g, a latch having a curved top end adapted to be pivoted to the drawhead and provided with a shoulder or cam at its top portion adapted to be engaged by the top portion of the projection of ahorizontallyswinging jaw, in combination with a drawhead having a cavity within which to suspend the latch, and an opening in the bottom to allow the latch to project downward through the draw-head and to swing laterally relative to the draw-bar, and a pivoted jaw having an arm or projection adapted to engage and operate the latch, in the manner set forth, for the purposes stated.

2. A drawhead having a transverse opening in the bottom, and an enlargement or notch K intersecting said opening, and a latch pivoted to the top portion of the drawhead and adapted to traverse said transverse opening and to rest in said notch, in the man ner set forth, for the purposes stated.

3. An improved automatic car-coupling comprising a draw-head having a concave front face and a concave cavity or recess, a trans verse opening in the bottom, and an enlargement or notch in the front side and outer end of the opening, a latch having a curve, and a shoulder or cam at its top portion suspended in the top portion of the draw-head and extended down through the transverse opening in the bottom of the draw-head, and a pivoted jaw having an arm extending horizontally, and a shoulder atits top adapted to engage the cam on the latch, arranged and combined to operate in the manner set forth, for the purposes stated.

Cl IARLES A. BALLREICI l.

\Vitnesses:

\V. J. SANKEY, 'lnonas G.- ORWIG. 

